Q: How did you get so good at presentations and handling conflict? How did you learn to “think on your feet” so easily?

A: Practice. Practice. Practice, practice, practice. Oh, and more practice. What I learned a long time ago is that being a good presenter, and being good at managing conflict, are not traits we’re born with. It’s a learned skill. And I learned it the hard way—by not being all that great at it when I first started in real estate. But I’ve been practicing my skills for a long time now, and I put myself in places where I had to get better quickly. Beyond practice, role-playing is a terrific way to build more expertise. Find a colleague or a mentor to role-play with. Ask your manager to help you. You’ll only get better at it if you actually do it.